Improvement in combined ditchers and pipe-layers



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE- JAMES I. MET'ILER, OF MENDOTA, ILLINOIS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,441, dated July 25,1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES I. METTLER, of Mendota, county of LaSalle andState of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Combined Ditch er andTile-Layer; and I do hereby declare that the Iollowing is a `ul1,`clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexeddrawing making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view, and Fig. 2 isa central vertical section through themachine.

rIhe same letters are employed in all the iigures in the designation ofthe same parts.

This invention relates to an improvement in machines for draining landand, at the same time, depositing' tiles in the opening made in theearth; and my invention consists in constructing the mole and stem towhich it is attached with atubular duct passing through both the stemand mole, by means of which sections of tile placed in the top of theduct may pass downward and be deposited in the hole made by the mole,and immediately in rear of the mole.

In this machine the mole A, suspended on the stem A1, is dragged throughthe ground by power applied to the front end of the frame at B. The

` mole in passing through the ground compresses the earth so as to leavebehind it a hole of its own size and shape. In the machines heretoforeused reliance has been had on the mere compression of the earth as beingsutlicient to keep upon the drain, but in many cases this will not be"the case, and then ditches must be dug by hand in order that the tilemay be deposited, ai'- ter which the ditch is lled up. My purpose is tocombine these two operations by my machine. And to this end a duct, A2,is formed in the stem and mole, and so curved that short sections oftile constantly fed into a hopper at the top of the duct may, as themole progresses, be deposited behind it inthe hole left in the ground bythe passage of the mole. By this means, at one operation, I am enabledto make the ditch and to lay the tile therein. The stem A1 of the moleis secured to the parallel pieces of the frame G. The rear end of theframe is supported upon the triangular timbers D, which serve tomaintain the mole and stem in a line perpendicular to the face of theground. This frame may be made vertically-adjustable by means ofset-screws to control the depth of the mole. The front end of the frameis supported upon the vertical frame E and roller E. The height of theframe and depth of the mole are regulated by means of the set-screw F,by means of which the frontend of th'e frame may be raised or lowered atwill. The vertical frame E and frame C are connected by means of thehinged braces G and H, which permit the adjustment ofthe frame C and,consequently, of the depth of the mole in the earth.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The mole A and stein A1, constructed with a tubular duct, A2, passingthrough both and open ing at the rear of the mole, by means of whichtile may be deposited in the hole made by the mole and immediately inrear thereof, substantially as set forth. h

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two sub- .IAMES I. METTLER..

'scribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

OTIs S. WHITE, DANIEL Y. Lown.

